I need to migrate an iPhone 4S running iOS 9 to an iPhone SE 2 running iOS 13.
I checked HT201269 [1] and HT210218 [2]. iTunes seems the way to go.
Which would be the best method?
Which would be common pitfalls to avoid?
If I use iTunes, should the versions match?
iPhone SE
I used Mojave in a VM and iTunes updated to current version.
Basically, I connected the iPhone 4S to the VM and made a backup, then connected the iPhone SE 2 and restored from it.
Here [1] you'll find general steps and here [2] more specific ones to migrate.
Caveats:
- in order to connect the phones you need to set the USB version of the VM to 2.0
- don't forget to Trust your (virtual) machine in the iPhones when connecting them
- got error 0xe800002d [3] when trying to restore. iTunes downloaded some update as I connected the iPhone SE 2, which apparently corrupted the last backup of the 4S, so I deleted it and did it again
- some applications like Podcasts didn't transfer as expected with all previously saved podcasts, so I'll have to extract them manually from the 4S
- if you sign in with your Apple ID, iOS 13 is set to automatically upload all your photos, backup your phone, etc without asking about each service — great sense of privacy.
[1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210218
[2] https://www.imore.com/how-to-transfer-data-from-old-iphone-to-new-iphone
[3] https://deciphertools.com/blog/fix-iphone-backup-corrupt/
I used Mojave in a VM and iTunes updated to current version.
Basically, I connected the iPhone 4S to the VM and made a backup, then connected the iPhone SE 2 and restored from it.
Here [1] you'll find general steps and here [2] more specific ones to migrate.
Caveats:
- in order to connect the phones you need to set the USB version of the VM to 2.0
- don't forget to Trust your (virtual) machine in the iPhones when connecting them
- got error 0xe800002d [3] when trying to restore. iTunes downloaded some update as I connected the iPhone SE 2, which apparently corrupted the last backup of the 4S, so I deleted it and did it again
- some applications like Podcasts didn't transfer as expected with all previously saved podcasts, so I'll have to extract them manually from the 4S
- if you sign in with your Apple ID, iOS 13 is set to automatically upload all your photos, backup your phone, etc without asking about each service — great sense of privacy.
[1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210218
[2] https://www.imore.com/how-to-transfer-data-from-old-iphone-to-new-iphone
[3] https://deciphertools.com/blog/fix-iphone-backup-corrupt/
Hello, iamsudo.
Yes, the iPhone SE would be able to get the information if you restore the iPhone from an iTunes backup. The only method you can't do is restore an iOS 13 backup to an older iPhone running an older iOS. However your iTunes version will not find the newer iPhone. iOS 13 or later requires iTunes version 12.10.0.7 or later:
Update to the latest version of iTunes
Cheers!
Hello, iamsudo.
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
I understand you would like to know which method would be best to get your data on your new iPhone. Quickstart would be the easiest method, however you'll need iOS 11 or higher which the iPhone 4s isn't capable of updating to. The fastest method would be iTunes as this is a direct cable connection to transfer data. For iCloud backups, the time it takes to restore from a backup depends on the size of your backup and the speed of your Wi-Fi network. There should be no issue as long as all your devices are using the latest iOS version: Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Before doing anything always make sure to have a current backup: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Cheers!
Hi Chris
Would then iOS 13 on iPhone SE 2 be able to get the data from the backup done with the 4S running iOS 9 and iTunes 11.4? I just want to get the versions right.
Hi Starr.C
Which iTunes version could manage my old 4S and still be upgradable to 12.10.0.7?
Hello, iamsudo.
The latest version of iTunes will still be able to manage your iPhone 4s.
Cheers!
iphone migration from iOS 9 to iOS 13
